TeeJay

No change for me all week

Is it stainless steel? If so, rubbing it with a green Scotchbrite pad in the direction of the grain will re-finish it for you (remembering to mask off any other areas you don't want to appear brushed) Failing that, you are left with the need to return (unless the dealer might provide you with a new case) and if that's the case, I would say to wrap the watch up as much as it was when you received it, and ship it with 'fashion watch' on the customs declaration. I'm not sure how wise it would be to try insuring it for the $$ value you paid for it (although I do acknowledge that it is a risk should the package get lost in the post... ) Best of luck with a successful resolution

I'm glad everybody thinks it might show promise. I have one more batch of decal paper coming in which I hope will render a flawless image like the acetate did. If this happens then I'll probably peddle some dial decals to help offset the growing pile of change I've spent on what I hope isn't a "fools mission".

:thumbsupsmileyanim: :thumbsupsmileyanim:

So woof, Freddy and Ubi are discredited.. You've just admitted that you're working hard.. and results aren't paying off. Don't distress Tee-Jay.. hard work doesn't mean success but it can be the difference between defeat and mere survival.

I find it funny that we don't tell our kids... "work hard and you might survive"

We tell them more extreme wishful things like .."work hard and you can be or do anything"

I wouldn't go so far as to say 'discredited', just that they've had different circumstances to me... It's like you said before, bro, I think it's a case of playing the hand you're dealt, rather than trying to count cards in the hopes of breaking the bank Also, as you say, there's a difference between being defeated, and surviving. At the moment, I am surviving, I have food in the cupboard and a roof over my head, just nothing in the way of truly 'disposable' income

Don't jump the building though Tee-Jay. If you see the ground start to move from underneath your feet.. come to Spain. You can always teach some english here and recharge the batteries till something comes along

No plans on jumping just yet If I did though, I'd be sure to hire a Spiderman costume to wear... Gotta give the paramedics something to chuckle at when they come to mop me off the sidewalk Some time in Spain would certainly be a welcome change from things, if only it was as easy as moving over, but with wifey to consider, not quite as easy as just jumping on the next plane

Sorry for such a long post Tee-jay haha

No need to apologize, bro, very interesting reading To address a couple of those points

It's been studied and suggested by MANY academically sound sources, that Bilingual and Multilingual children might have a higher capacity for short-term memory. As it turns out language and memory seem to be very closely related. They also show signs of cognitive and memory capacity that monlingual speakers don't have. Bilingual and multilingual speakers are consistently able to memorize more words faster than monolingual speakers, find solutions to problems faster and are often able to relate to different cultures easier than monolingual speakers.

That's totally fair enough. If being multi-lingual can provide benefits other than sociological, then I will gladly agree with you that parents not teaching children 'the mother tongue' are doing them a disservice. I was originally thinking along the lines of integration into the 'culture of origin', but given the benefits you have highlighted, then that is certainly a benefit to being multi-lingual

Maybe you and Freddy are missing my point. It's not that I disagree that there possibly might be a difference between the immigrants of "old" and the immigrants of "new". What I'm definitely not in agreeance with, is that the old was "better" than the new or vice-versa. Each immigrant was a product of their own historical contexts. This idea of "americanism" is not something that has been "lost" because now immigrants don't value it. It's something that is completely relative tothe times and events that the immigrant populations have had to face.

What I'm discussing with regards immigration, is not so much that old is better than new, I'm simply pointing out that in my area of the UK (and no-doubt countless other places on the planet) there exist a type of immigrant who moves to another country to better the lives of themselves and their family. But. Unlike the immigrants who move to better the lives of themselves and their family through integration and hard work, this other type of immigrant (like the Poles I mentioned before) is simply 'following the money' and making zero contribution to their host nation. That is what I personally feel is wrong: Not the people doing it, but the systems which allow them to do so...

Immigrants not wanting to "be american" is not the fault of immigrants. It's the fault of a series of contextual circumstances that make immigrants choose to be the way they are. Globalism, mutliculturalism, the technological revolution, cultural appreciation, social capital, aging populations and ever increasing poverty gaps, are all factors that are RADICALLY different from the environment in which immigrants previously immigrated to America.

I couldn't disagree more strongly, but I'm not refering to 'immigrants' per se now, but American-born citizens whos families have lived in America for a few hundred years. All these African/German/Irish/Italian-Americans who have not only never been to 'the old country', but whos parents never had either. These people who identify themselves, if asked by other Americans, as Irish (to choose one at random) No... They're not Irish, they are AMERICAN... They are just Americans of Irish descent... This misguided sense of heritage or pride is dangerous, as it only encourages seperatism, not integration. As I said before, my dad's paternal family (if you go back far enough)traces its line back to Saint Augustine, but I don't look Algerian, I don't consider myself Algerian, and I don't expect an Algerian passport to arrive in the mail Even though I have some Welsh blood from more recent generations, I don't consider myself Welsh either. As before, sure, it would be nice to be able to speak Welsh, because as a family, we visit there quite a bit, but, none of my dad's siblings were taught Welsh by their mum (all born and raised on the outskirts of London) the only reason a few of my cousins can speak Welsh, is that my aunt moved to Wales, and they were all born and raised in Cardiff, so for them, it is only natural that they would speak Welsh. I'm equally not really into Welsh Culture either... I view myself solely as English, afterall, I was born in England, although I acknowledge there is a very strong American influence, because I was raised watching American TV and reading American books. As I have mentioned before, American-English is my 'basic operating system', I mentally translate into "the Queen's English" when I speak. There are also very strong Arabic and Japanese influences on my life, which have nothing to do with how I was raised, but the cultures I have encountered and felt an affinity with (wearing my fundoshi as I write this, I'm sure your grandmother would approve ) but even then, people do not see me walking around in a jubba or kimono

Look at Japan they refuse immigrants and their society is way better then all of the EU country's.Minus some nuclear melt downs and some quakes..

I'm deeply happy that the Norwegians had the chance to vote on EU matters, we voted NO, maybe our government should let us decide more on ourself like they do in the only real democracy in the world Switzerland.

:rofl: :rofl:

Bro, that is absolutely hilairious, as it couldn't be further from the truth My best friend has been living in Tokyo for the past 4-5 years... He is married to a Japanese girl, and they have a son who is nearly two... He has several friends locally to him who are also American and English immigrants... Japan allows immigrants... With regards 'Japanese Society', hell, I love Japanese culture, that much should be obvious to anyone, but in terms of 'society', they are really messed up... When we were in Tokyo 2 years ago, there was such an issue with homelessness, that from about 8PM onwards, there would be a guy sleeping in every empty doorway, along any free stretch of wall, and under any vacant bench. I have never seen such a thing in my life, not even in London or Brighton late at night. To say it was shocking, would be an understatement. The rest of your comment I totally agree with, but I had to point out those issues with regards to Japan

Life is a lot like a card game. But instead of 2 or 3 or 6 decks of cards, think of MILLIONS or billions of decks. Sure it depends on your skill, but it also depends equally on the cards you're dealt. If you're continually dealt bad cards, how can you expect to win, regardless of your card-counting ability.

I agree entirely. No matter what I try and do to get myself launched as an art consultant, nothing has taken off... I did a canvas of a Planet Ocean dial to sell here specifically because people here expressed an interest in watch-related art work, yet once it was listed, not one of those people put their hand in their pocket to buy it... I have tried making various goods to sell at the mind/body/spirit fairs my father in law attends, but none of them sell... I tried offering to analyze people's handwriting, as something different to the 'crystal ball strokers' passing affirmations and messages from beyond from Auntie Mabel, but there was no take up on it... (They just wanted the readings from the psychics :bangin: ) No matter what I tried, it just didn't work. I am really hoping that tattooing allows me to break this cycle, because if not, I might as well just find the nearest tall building and see if I can fly or not

Dear England,

Now who has the convicts?

Sincerely,

Australia.

:lol:

Awesome gesture

Immigrants had children and refused to speak anything but english to them. Nowadays, it's the opposite, it's considered a great disadvantage to your child if you don't speak to him in your mother tongue.

We live in a much more pluralistic society now, where it's acceptable to embrace your "non-american" traits. They're what make us different.

A couple of thoughts on those points, if you'll indulge me, bro Firstly, how, and by whom, is it considered a disadvantage if the child is not spoken to in the mother tongue rather than English (assuming the child is living in a primarily English-speaking community)? Something which is evident in the town I live, and I appreciate this is only anecdotal rather than anything I can back up, but there are many instances where parents are having to rely on their children so they can shop and get groceries, because they are unable to read or speak English properly themselves. (ironically, a requirement for immigration in the UK [from non EU countries], is having a reasonable grasp of the English language, and in America, immigrants seeking citizenship are required to be able to read, write and speak English) That is neither fair on the child to be relied on thus, and equally not fair on the esteem of the parent... I mean, by all means, people should be aware of their 'culture of origin', but not when it impacts on their ability to function in the society in which they live. Not living in Wales, it's not much of an issue that I can't speak Welsh, but, on the times I do visit, I do think it would be nice if I could... Second point, is regards the Hyphen Americans. As you say, those things are what make folks different. Some might say that such an outlook creates division in communities, rather than solidarity, and that people view themselves as the 'insert nationality here', rather than just as 'Americans'. And again, I don't think people should lose touch of their 'culture of origin' or be ashamed of those cultural roots, but I think (possibly naively) that if folks were to focus on themselves simply as 'Americans', there might be less segregation between communities, and more solidarity

Welcome indeed

Would the bracelet from a cheap PVD Sub fit the case?

Can't believe I missed this, but that really is an awesome twist on the classic look

It looks absolutely fantastic, nice work indeed Sending a PM your way on another matter

im going to say dont mess around with glues or cements when dials or watch parts are involved. it gets stringy and cob web like and will ruin your gloss dial. why risk it? 3M makes a great double sided scarp booking tape which i have used NUMEROUS times without incident, it is very adhesive.

+1 I've NEVER had an issue of sideways dial movement/slippage when using double sided tape to secure the dial to the movement

Absolutely awesome end-links, he deserves to make a fortune selling these I just hope Rolex doesn't get jealous and slap him with a CAD letter... Personally, I don't mind the gap between the case and the strap, but I must agree with the comments on the other forum, that they really do Complete the Look

Fantastic

Damn, that's a good score

Sad to hear

To me sounds like Freddy might be hinting to a similar point that David Starkey brought up the day before yesterday. His rationalization is dumb and based on nothingness. He says that the white culture has made the mistake of embrassing black culture through music and style and this has led to the riots. I'm guessing some of you might probabaly agree with him. What he doesn't admit, is that political themes in music have existed forever. The Who, The Sex Pistols.. I mean come on. There's no way that this riot can be boiled down to black culture becoming popular. His argument seems to suggest that white people are even more peaceful. Stupid if you ask me.

Personally speaking, I wouldn't call it black culture, as not every black guy in the world is into bling, treating his hoes badly, and wearing pants three sizes too large I would agree that rap culture is rather misogynistic and aggressive, and I would agree that the people who emulate it (whatever ethnicity they may be) do take on those undesirable traits (I also acknowledge that the areas where many of the artists involved grew up, were not the most pleasant, so that is where that aggression and hostility comes from. Not saying it's right, but not saying it's their fault either...) I'm not sure if I would agree that rap culture is responsible for rioting and looting though. I would certainly agree that it holds up a certain lifestyle where wealth and prestige are not just present, but present in excess and flaunted, and there are many in the world who see that excess being flaunted, and they want it for themselves, but they don't want to work for it. But. I wouldn't say that the music and the videos themselves are directly responsible for the way the people then choose to act, that is just down to poor parenting, and some serious impulse-control issues

@Teejay.. Epic thread bra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRGd0gD0QNE

If only that had been my intention

I'm american. I live in Spain and am married. Have bought a house here and one day will probably raise a family here. So after 30 years of living of spain, and I identify myself as american I have a problem as well??

If you say yes.. I say f*** you. If you say no, I have no problem, then I ask.. Why do you hold me to a different standard than your Mexican friend you encountered in the street?

p.s. Are you "indigenous" Freddy? Last I checked.. immigrants that came to America hardly EVER assimilated to the established "indigenous" population we had in the states. Starting as far back as christopher columbus and the pilgrims.

I think what Freddy was referring to, is not so much one particular guy maintaining fond feelings in his birth country, but the issue of some immigrants who move to a country, make no attempt to integrate into the local culture, refuse to learn the language, and who still try and behave like 'back in the Old Country'. (Freddy, apologies in advance if I misunderstood your sentiment)

Also, while I acknowledge your point about the Native Americans, as I mentioned before, there is only so far back someone can refer to 'indigenous' without being intentionally disingenuous. America was built by people traveling away from their home nations, to build something better. Any of their descendants, for the sake of discussion, can be referred to as 'indigenous Americans'. It would be the same kind of deliberate pedantry to insist a 21st Century white native-born Britain define himself as a Celt, a Dane, a Norman, a Roman, or a Saxon, rather than as 'indigenous British'. While it might be accurate, it is unnecessarily so, and would miss the point of the discussion. For the record, I loosely describe myself as 1/4 Welsh, 1/4 British (Possibly of Saxon extraction) 1/2 British (Austrian Jewish descent circa 1940s), but, if I wanted to go far enough back, that 1/4 British is actually descended from what is now called Algeria (Dad's paternal family traces it's roots back to St Augustine) So by 'definition', I could be classed as other than 'indigenous British', but it would be a pretty far stretch of the imagination for anyone to take such classification seriously, and I can't see an Algerian passport arriving in the post any time soon

Kudos Woof.

Maybe I should have been a bit more clear from my response, as I made it sound as if being proud were a sin. I'm an american in spain, and will always be "proud" to be one. What I think is dangerous is when you think of how the word proud is used in the context of nationality, regionalism, ethnicity etc. I also happen to be black and 1/4japanese.. If you ask me if I'm proud, then of course I'll say yes... But on a deeper level, it's kind of a silly thing to be proud of. No one ever says, "look, my tongue is pink... I'm proud of it. "

The issue of pride had relevance to Freddy's comments because freddy seemed to be surprised that the Mexican seemed proud of Mexico despite having been in America for 30 years. As an example in a different context: I myself am an American living and working abroad. My wife is Spanish and I plan on being in Spain for at least a fairly significant part of my life. In 30 years if a Spaniard walks up to me on the street and I tell him that I love my country the United States, I don't expect him to be surprised that I love the country I was born in. Meanwhile, Fredddy seemed to be surprised when the mexican man told him something to the same effect.

I guess to sum it up: "pride" is contextual and has nothing to do with immigrants' decisions in going to another country.

One of the Seven Deadly

I totally agree with you, I think it's silly to be proud of things which one had no influence over such as nationality or skin color. I'm proud that I have a good eye for artistic details, and that I can accurately 'eyeball' most measurements, but those are skills which I have learned over the years. When I was 8, my friend, A, was always a better artist than me, and his drawings were really good. He's recently got himself hooked up with a tattoo apprenticeship in our hometown, and I couldn't be happier for him, but when he posted some of his artwork online, I was shocked at how -for lack of a better word- 'juvenile' his drawings were. A few of the practice pieces he had done were really good examples of Cholo-style tattoos (if they were being done in prison with guitar string and pen ink ), but the majority of the paper drawings, while they would be good from a child, are certainly not of the quality I would expect from a professional tattoo artist (and lets be honest here, someone should be a good artist before they even pick up a tattoo machine. As an apprentice, one is learning the medium, not how to draw...) and equally, not the standard I expected his artwork to be at, had his work continued to progress and improve as expected over the years. The point I'm getting at, is that I am now proud that my drawing skills surpass his. Not so much as a case of "I'm better than you ) but that I was able to improve and progress with my skills beyond my original expectations I'm not proud of the fact that I live in the UK, as that's something I had no control over, nor am I particularly proud of 'British Culture', as I've always felt rather disconnected from it (and actually always felt a closer bond to the USA)

Welcome

People are mistaking the Razor House (linked) as the Iron Man house. You don't need to build one like it, it already exists, only $20M, down from $39M. Pull out your checkbook now for that bargain!

Yeah, I laughed when I saw that and they were saying it was the Iron Man house, but I'm looking at it, and thinking "That's not right, that shouldn't be there..." Fantastic house though, and definitely the kind of place I would love to live in Given my love of movies, memorabilia and reps, if I ever was in the position to have that kind of money, I figure I would just have the actual movie house re-created (maybe not on a cliff though ) and live in a replica of the Iron Man house

I can't really feel sorry for people when their house falls off a cliff..

As long as it doesn't do it while I'm home, I wouldn't worry, insurance would cover it

Point Dume, Malibu, California. (CG model superimposed in shot for the Iron Man 2 movie), good one!

Yep When I win the lotto, I'm going to pay to have the place built

Looking good, my man